John Bull (gunman)

John Bull (1836 – 1929) was a little-known yet nonetheless deadly gunman of the American Old West. He is featured in the book "Deadly Dozen", written by author Robert K. DeArment as one of the twelve most underrated gunmen of the 19th century west.

Born John Edwin Bull, in England, little more is known of his early life. It also is not certain as to when he ventured to the United States, but is believed to have been some time during the 1850s. He first appeared, in historical texts, in 1861, as a professional gambler that made his way around mining boomtowns.

On August 25, 1862, he was involved in a gunfight while in the mining camp of Gold Creek, located in Montana Territory. He entered the town stating his name was John Bull, and that he and his companion, a man named Fox, were on the trail of horse thieves who had stolen six valuable horses in Elk City, Idaho. The thieves, C.W. Spillman, Bill Arnett, and B.F. Jermagin had preceded Bull and Fox in entering the camp by about three days.

Bull and Fox captured Spillman with no incident, and placed him in the custody of several miners while the two continued to search for the others. Locating them in a large tent used as a saloon, Bull stepped inside with a double barrel shotgun, and demanded both men throw up their hands and surrender. Arnett immediately grabbed his pistol laying on the table beside him, at which point Bull shot him with one blast from his shotgun in the chest, killing him instantly. Jermagin surrendered, and he and Spillman were tried the next morning in a makeshift court. Jermagin was able to successfully argue that he played no part in the horse theft. However, Spillman was convicted and sentenced to hang. The next morning he was executed.

At this time mining camps in Nevada Territory were booming, most promionent Aurora, and then Austin. John Bull settled at the silver camp of Austin, in the center of the Territory. Early in 1864 there came about a nationalistic dispute over who was “chief” in Austin - Irish vs. English. In deference to the late editorial against dueling with pistols and knives, the use of those weapons was rejected by involved parties. It so happened another talent of Johnny Bull was fisticuffs. The issue was finally settled between Bull and a particular Irishman. They met up late at night on February 21, in a saloon at the corner of Main and Cedar Streets. Inside within the presence of an excited crowd, the two combatants (with their seconds) came to an agreement in regards the rules of pugilism to be allowed:

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